A MONOPILE FASTENING DEVICE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a monopile fastening system for retaining one or more elongated monopile during sea transport and/or quay transport, which can be used to accommodate monopiles with section having different diameters by the combination of complementary supporting elements that can be singularly activated.

The present invention also relates to a monopile fastening structure comprising a plurality of monopile fastening systems, and to a vessel, a barge or a sea transport unit comprising a monopile fastening structure or a monopile fastening system and to a method for fastening a monopile using a monopile fastening system.

Claims

1. A monopile fastening system (1, 9, 17) for retaining one or more elongated monopile during sea transport and/or quay transport, said system comprising: at least two supporting devices (3, 11, 18); a supporting frame (2, 10, 23) for securing said at least two supporting devices (3, 11, 18) to a surface of a vessel, barge or a sea transport unit, said at least two supporting devices (3, 11, 18) having each at least one surface (6, 32) in contact with a surface (7, 33) of said supporting frame (2, 10, 23); wherein each of said at least two supporting devices (3, 11, 18) comprises, at least two supporting elements (4, 5, 12, 13, 20, 24, 27), said at least two supporting elements having each at least one surface (14, 15, 25, 26, 28, 29) in contact with each other; wherein said at least two supporting elements (4, 5, 12, 13, 20, 24, 27) are connected with each other through one or more displacing means (16, 22, 30); and wherein said one or more displacing means (16, 22, 30) are means for displacing said at least two supporting elements (4, 5, 12, 13, 20, 24, 27) along said at least one surface (14, 15, 25, 26, 28, 29) in contact with each other.

2. A monopile fastening system (1, 9, 17) according claim 1, wherein said at least two supporting devices (3, 11, 18) are connected to said surface (7, 33) of said supporting frame (2, 10, 23) through one or more shifting means (8, 31).

3. A monopile fastening system (1, 9, 17) according to claim 2, wherein said one or more shifting means (8, 31) are means for shifting said at least two supporting devices (3, 11, 18) along said at least one surface (6, 32) in contact with said surface (7, 33) of said supporting frame (2, 10, 23).

4. A monopile fastening system (1, 9, 17) according to claim 3, wherein said at least one surface of said at least two supporting devices (3, 11, 18) in contact with said surface (7, 33) of said supporting frame (2, 10, 23) is the bottom surface (6, 32) of the bottom supporting element (4, 24) of said at least two supporting elements (4, 5, 12, 13, 20, 24, 27).

5. A monopile fastening system (1, 9, 17) according to claim 4, wherein said at least two supporting devices (3, 11, 18) are at least two wedge supporting devices.

6. A monopile fastening system (1, 9, 17) according to claim 5, where said at least two supporting elements (4, 5, 12, 13, 20, 24, 27) are at least two wedge supporting elements.

7. A monopile fastening system (1, 9, 17) according to claim 6, wherein said at least two supporting elements (4, 5, 12, 13, 20, 24, 27) comprises one or more pads (34).

8. A monopile fastening system (1, 9, 17) according to claim 7, wherein said supporting frame (2, 10, 13) comprises one or more pads (35).

9. A monopile fastening system (1, 9, 17) according to claim 8, wherein said one or more displacing means (16, 22, 30) connecting said at least two supporting elements, are or comprise at least one hydraulic jack.

10. A monopile fastening system (1, 9, 17) according to claim 9, wherein said at least one hydraulic jack is located in a recess of said contact surfaces.

11. A monopile fastening system (1, 9, 17) according to claim 10, wherein said one or more shifting means (8, 31) connecting said supporting frame to at least one of said at least two supporting devices are or comprise at least one hydraulic jack.

12. A monopile fastening system (1, 9, 17) according to claim 11, wherein said at least one hydraulic jack is located in a recess of said supporting frame.

13. A monopile fastening system (1, 9, 17) according to claim 12, wherein said recess is located onto a surface of said supporting frame.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0064] The monopile fastening system for retaining one or more elongated monopile during transport, a monopile fastening structure, a vessel, a barge or a sea transport unit comprising a monopile fastening structure or monopile fastening system according to the invention will now be described in more details with regard to the accompanying figures. The figures show one way of implementing the present invention and are not to be construed as being limiting to other possible embodiments falling within the scope of the attached claim set.

[0065] FIGS. 1A and 1B show a top view and a cross section of the monopile fastening system according to some embodiments of the invention comprising shifting means between the at least two supporting devices and the supporting frame.

[0066] FIGS. 2A and 2B show a top view and a cross section of the monopile fastening system according to some embodiments of the invention comprising displacing means between the at least two supporting elements.

[0067] FIGS. 3A and 3B show a top view and a cross section of the monopile fastening system according to some embodiments of the invention comprising both displacing means between the at least two supporting elements and shifting means between the at least two supporting devices and the supporting frame.

[0068] FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the monopile fastening system of FIGS. 3A and 3B.

[0069] FIG. 5 shows a cross section of a sea transport comprising the monopile fastening system according to some embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

[0070] FIG. 1A shows a top view 36 of the monopile fastening system according to some embodiments of the invention.

[0071] FIG. 1B shows a cross section 1 of the monopile fastening system of FIG. 1A comprising hydraulic jacks 8 located into recesses of the supporting frame 2. The two supporting devices 3 comprise each two wedge supporting elements 4 and 5. When in use, the two supporting devices 3 can slide along the contacting surfaces 6 and 7 upon activation of the hydraulic jacks 8 so as to accommodate monopiles having different section diameter.

[0072] FIG. 2A shows a top view 37 of the monopile fastening system according to some other embodiments of the invention.

[0073] FIG. 2B shows a cross section 9 of the monopile fastening system of FIG. 2A comprising supporting devices 11 fixed onto supporting frame 10.

[0074] Each of the supporting devices 11 comprises wedge supporting elements 12 and 13. Two hydraulic jacks 16 are located into recesses of the bottom supporting elements 12 connecting wedge supporting elements 12 to the top supporting elements 13.

[0075] When in use, the two wedge supporting elements 12 and 13 can be displaced along the contacting surfaces 15 and 14 upon activation of the hydraulic jacks 16 so as to accommodate monopiles having different section diameter.

[0076] FIG. 3A shows a top view 38 of the monopile fastening system according to some embodiments of the invention comprising three supporting elements.

[0077] FIG. 3B shows a cross section of the monopile fastening system 17 of FIG. 3A comprising two supporting devices 18 each characterized by three wedge supporting elements 20, 24 and 27.

[0078] FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the monopile fastening system 17 of FIGS. 3A and 3B.

[0079] Each of the two supporting devices 18 comprises two hydraulic jacks 22 and 30 located in recesses on the top surface of wedge supporting elements 24 and 27, thus allowing for displacement between supporting elements 20 and 27 along the contact surfaces 29 and 28 and between supporting elements 24 and 27 along the contact surfaces 25 and 26.

[0080] Further hydraulic jacks 31 are located in recesses on the top surface of supporting frame 23. This allows for displacement between the supporting devices 18 and the supporting frame 23 along the contacting surfaces 32 and 33.

[0081] FIG. 4 also shows the presence of contact pads 34 and 35 on the surface of the supporting elements and supporting frame.

[0082] FIG. 5 shows a cross section 19 of a sea transport 21 comprising the monopile fastening system according to some embodiments of the invention in which the two supporting devices are shown as differently adjusted so as to accommodate monopiles having different section diameter.

[0083] Although the present invention has been described in connection with the specified embodiments, it should not be construed as being in any way limited to the presented examples. The scope of the present invention is set out by the accompanying claim set. In the context of the claims, the terms “comprising” or “comprises” do not exclude other possible elements or steps. Also, the mentioning of references such as “a” or “an” etc. should not be construed as excluding a plurality. The use of reference signs in the claims with respect to elements indicated in the figures shall also not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Furthermore, individual features mentioned in different claims, may possibly be advantageously combined, and the mentioning of these features in different claims does not exclude that a combination of features is possible and advantageous.